Fish bait



April 15, 1952 w. w. THOMPSON x-:T Al. 2,593,220

FISH BAIT Filed June 24, 194e Z4 z5 2@ 27 fe /9 HTH/Is Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FSH BA'T William 'W'.hompsom Birmingham, and Gilbert F. Whitston, Inkster, Mich. Application-.rime 24, 194s', serial Nb. '678352 l.V Claim. 1

This invention relates to artificial iish baits, and in particular to such sh baits with interchangeable bodies.

One object of this invention is to provide a fish bait having a construction such that one body may be removed and another substituted instantly in its place, without the necessity for special tools andl without any removable parts which may become lost. ,y v

Another object is to provide` afish bait wherein the frame of the iish bait, together with its hooks. is completely detachable from the body by a simplemanual operation, so that the bodies themselves have no projections which can catch in the clothing or pockets of the user.` y

Another object is to provide a iish bait, as set forth in the preceding object, wherein the various bodies are smooth in shape so that a number of them can be carried in the pockets of the user and instantly interchanged with the body which is then in position upon the frame carrying the hooks.

Another object is to provide a fish bait, as set forth in the preceding objects wherein the body is a simple elongated member having a slot which receives the frame, substantially all of the Inovable parts for holding the body imposition being a part of the frame g `Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1f is a side elevation, partly in central vertical section. of a sh bait according to a preferred form of the invention;

vFigure 2l is a top plan View of the fish bait shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the frame of the sh bait shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the body removed; and

Figure 4 is a cross-section through the body taken along the line 4-4 in Figure 1, with the frame omitted; and

Figure 5 is a. fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through the rearward portion of a modiiied form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail. Figure 3 shows a frame, generally designated I0, for a fish bait, according to a preferred form of the invention, adapted to receive any one of a number of fish bait bodies, generally designated II (Figure 1). The frame I0 consists of an elongated rod-like member I2 having a bell-shaped member I3 mounted on the member I2 near the rearward end thereof and provided with a recess I4 therein. The rearward end of the-member 112, as shown, terminates ina hooked portion I5 but may also employ any other type of conventional fastening, such as an eyelet or any other `suitable means ofl attachment-forash hooku'nit I6. The latter is provided with the usual eyelet I1 at the top of its shank I8 and has the usual bent por'- tions I9 terminating in barbs 2B. The fish hook unit IB is shown as consisting of a triple hook,- but a single hook ofr conventional 'pattern may be employed, if desired.

The frame I0 is also' provided with a downwardly extending arm A2| having an upper portion 22 'secured to the member I2 intermediate its ends and having a similar attachment portion 23 resembling the attachmentportion I5, a hook-like portion being' shown for purposes of illustration. A similar fish hook unit VIIS is also mounted thereon in a manner similar to the fish hook unit I6 previously described as mounted on the attachment portion I-5.- A single hook may also .be mounted uponthe portion 2-3` at the option of the user.

The forward-I end o'f the member I2 is curved as at 24 into the form of a hook or eyelet for the attachment of a conventional swivel, leader ori-fishing line, these `forming vno part-of the in vention. Behind the portion 24 there is xedly secured to the member I2 a washer or collar 25 serving as an abutment for the forward end of a coil spring 26, the rearward end of which engages a slidable washer 21 which is movable along the rod-like member I2.

The body I I may be of a variety of shapes and colors, the body shown being of elongated roughly cylindrical shape having a side wall 2'8 tapering toward its' rearward end as at 29, the extreme end portion 3D being of a shape corresponding to the shape of the cavity I4 so as to mate there, with. The forward end 3| of the body II is shown as inclined and plane, but may be concave or otherwise shaped according to the desire of the user and the action desired from the fish bait. The forward end 3|, however, is provided with a recess 32 having an abutment wall 33 at the bottom thereof, preferably perpendicular to the rodlike member I2 so as to receive the rearward face of the slidable washer 21 when the spring 28 is in a compressed condition. 'Ihe body II is also provided with a longitudinal" slot 34 (Figure 4), preferably slightly greater in width than the diameter of the rod-like member I2 and extending along the entire length of the body II and upwardly from the bottom edge thereof to approximately the center line.

In the use of the fish bait, let it be assumed that a body II is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, and it is desired to change bodies. The user grasps the rearward portion I5 of the frame I in one hand and with his other hand grasps the body II and pushes it in a forward direction, compressing the coil spring 26 until the rearward end 30 of the body II moves oompletely out of the cavity I4. The rearward end 30 of the body II is then swung upward, pivoting around the abutment wall 33 until it is clear of the bell-shaped member I3, whereupon the body I I is pulled upwardly and rearwardly to disengage it from the washer 21 and at the same time move the slot 34 completely out of engagement with the rod-like member I2.

The user then selects the desired bodyvfrom his set of bodies and inserts it by reversing the previously described motion. In so doing, he in` serts the forward end of the slot 83 upon the rod-like member I2 -with the abutment wall 33 of the recess 32 in engagement with the slidable washer 21, and pushes the body II forward, at the same time holding the rearward portionl in his other hand. When the body II has been moved forward by compressing the spring 25 a suicient amount `so that the rearward end 30 of the body II clears the bell-shaped member I3, he pushes downward upon the body iI until the rod-like member I2 reaches the limit of the slot 34, whereupon the body II is released. The urge of the spring 26 thencauses the washer 27 to push the body II rearwardly so that the end 30 enters the cavity I4 and mates therewith. The sh bait is then again ready for use with the selected body.

The modification shown in Figure is generally similarto the principal form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive except for the body, hence similar parts are similarly designated. The body II is provided with the same longitudinal slot 34 as in Figure 1, but at .the extreme end portion 30 thereof it is provided with a socket 35 adapted to nest with the forward or inner surface 36 of an abutment member 3i mounted on the rod-like member I2, and secured thereto in any suitable way. The rearward or outer surface 38 is preferably rounded off to form a smooth continuation of the body end 30.

The use of the modification of Figure 5- is similar to that of Figure 1 and a similar procedure in changing bodies is followed. Instead ofthe rearward end 30 nesting in the cavity I4 of the bell-shaped member I3, however, the socket 35 nests with the forward surface 36 of theA abutment member 37 and these surfaces are urged into rm engagement by the coil spring 26.

While we have shown and described our invention in detail, it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claim, for many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

What we claim is:

A sh bait of the type having removable and interchangeable bodies, comprising an elongated body having a substantially straight slot extending longitudinally from end to end thereof and transversely substantially halfway through said body from one side thereof, a substantially rigid elongated straight rod removably insertable in said slot, said rod having its opposite Aends projecting from the opposite ends of said body and terminating in eye-shaped loops for the attachment of a fishing line and a hook respectively, forward and rearward body holding elements mounted on said rod near the forward and rearward ends respectively of said rod and detachably engageable with the opposite ends of said body, the forward element being movably mounted on said rod, a spring attached to said rod and yieldingly urging said movable forward element into locking engagement with the forward end of said body, said rearward holding element and the rearward end of saidbody having intertting portions of corresponding configuration engageable with one another, a fish hook attached to one of said loops. an arm secured to said rod and extending downwardly therefrom through said slot with its outer end projecting therefrom, and a second fish hook attached to the lower end of said arm.

WILLIAM W. THOMPSON. GILBERT F. WHITSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

